What's In a Robe?
by 454647675
Summary: What's in a robe? That which we call a soul would be as strong, were it cloaked by any other means. To unfold a robe, to reveal a soul. A simple action in the present leads to discovery in the past and future.
1. In the Now

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b Disclaimer: This is JKR's world, I'm just messing in it. /b 

i A/N: Hehe, trying something new this time... probably going to be a 2-4 parter. Aiming for around 12000 words, eh? Felt like I hadn't written anything for awhile; the idea was already there so I just plucked it out of the air... :) Enjoy! /i 

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Harry gasped and ducked behind the fallen pillar. There was a tremendous crash as a Reductor curse shattered the surface of the stone. Taking advantage of the stone dust, Harry quickly crept to the side, raising his wand as he did so. As the dust cleared, the silhouette of his attacker was clearly visible against the evening sunlight. Her back was turned. With a grin, Harry leapt out from his hiding place and swung his wand hand out, quickly whipping it back in to complete the wand movement.

" i Stupefy! /i " he roared. A jet of red light flew from his wand tip, screeching as it tore towards his opponent. With sudden grace, the witch spun around, conjuring a shield just before the stunner hit her. With a 'crack', she disappeared from Harry's line of sight. Sensing a disturbance in the air to his right, Harry turned quickly, an incantation leaving his lips just as the witch apparated in a swirl of robes. As the jet of yellow light hit her, the witch's wand flew out of her hand in a graceful acc, landing squarely in Harry's. Smirking, he approached his would-be assailant with his wand raised, pushing her into a corner of the ruins. Her face was hidden beneath a loose hood, but Harry could see her arms trembling as they met a stone wall. He advanced cautiously, wand conjuring ropes which wrapped themselves firmly around his attacker, leaving no room for movement. As he reached the prone body, he bent over and whispered in her ear softly.

"You're dead."

Satisfied with the look on the witch's face, Harry spun on his heel and started on his way once more. There was a rustle as the ropes fell to the ground. Harry's head snapped back in shock to see the figure leaping towards him. Even before he could whip out his wand, he felt her wand point jabbing into the soft flesh of his side. His eyes widened as his assailant lifted her hood. Soft auburn curls glittered as the last of the waning light gave her face a radiant glow. Her chocolate eyes mirrored her mouth as it curled into an evil smirk. Ginny Weasley gave a last painful twist of her wand, and Harry knew no more...

center /center 

Harry ached. There were no other words to describe it. His arms and legs were leaden, probably stiff from the rope which was still wrapped around his wrists and ankles; his back was sore, but the pain was dimmed by the cool and smooth stone he was lying on. Desperate to escape from the darkness of oblivion, Harry forced his eyes open, only to clamp them shut quickly as the harsh glare of a glow stone seared him in contrast to the inky blackness he had floated in for the past... had it been hours? Or perhaps it was days or weeks, he sure felt that way. He grimaced as the feeling returned to his head. His head was spinning and a native drummer seemed to have taken residence inside his skull. Worst of all was the stinging pain which seemed to radiate from his face, Harry grunted in frustration as he tested his bonds to find them tight. A lopsided grin flitted across his face as he discovered that he had been bound flawlessly. i She learns fast /i he thought to himself. Just as he was about to resume his escape attempts, the sound of soft footsteps stopped him in his tracks.

"Comfy?" her lilting voice carried easily in the silence of the room, "I'd hate to see the great Harry Potter uncomfortable, wouldn't I? What kind of hostess would I be then...?" Harry grimaced at the hero reference, for the umpteenth time wishing he could trade his fame away. He turned his mind back to matters at hand. He could almost hear the smug tone of his captor's voice... this was a delicate situation and he had to handle it perfectly. Using a combination of struggling and wobbling, Harry finally managed to roll on his side, only to see the dark leather of his captor's shoes. It was now or never.

"Ginny! Let me up, I'm hurting here, woman..." he whined while attempting to give a doe-eyed look; the boots shifted as their owner squatted down to look Harry in the eye.

"Admit that I got you..." she whispered breathily, lightly trailing a finger down his prone form, reveling in the shiver she was rewarded with as his face began to flush.

"I got you first... you were dead," Harry said stubbornly, but quickly decided to change tack as his girlfriend scowled and stood to leave, "Alright, alright! You won okay... just let me up... please?" Rolling her eyes, Ginny bent down and gave her wand a little wiggle, causing the ropes to fall off from around Harry's wrists and ankles. Grimacing slightly as he rubbed his chaffed skin, Harry quickly turned to follow Ginny's retreating back. Hooking his hand over her shoulder, he spun her around to see her glaring at him. Knowing how hot tempered his girlfriend could be, he let go of her as if his hands had been burned and leapt back a step.

"What did I do?" he yelped, a worried squeak in his voice.

"You boys are all the same! You just can't admit that you lost to me for once... I work and work and when I finally beat you, you act as if I won by fluke..." Ginny's voice became more and more bitter as she worked herself into a rage, she continued as her face reddened further, "I can't stand it! Why do you boys insist on being right all the time? I... mnph!" Ginny's eyes widened as she was forcibly silenced as Harry's lips smothered hers. After a initial few moments of indignation, Ginny's hands wrapped themselves unresistingly around Harry as she lost herself in the kiss. Prying Ginny's hands off him, Harry stepped back and held her at arms length.

"Good that you shut up for a moment, love," he flashed a devilish smirk at her before reverting to a more neutral smile as he continued, "I'm sorry, I was just a little irritable about being bound hand and foot. We've trained hard, and I've not gone easy on you because I know Tom definitely won't. You won fair and square, Gin, and I'm really proud of you." The shy smile which peeked out from beneath her previously stony exterior could not have contrasted more even if she had tried. Harry suddenly realized that no matter how strong she was on the outside, no matter how much they had gone through together, Ginny was still a blossoming young woman who had opinions, emotions and insecurities like any other seventeen year old girl. Harry suddenly felt much more nervous about what he was about to do. Looking up at his girl, Harry's breath was stuck in his throat as he caught sight of Ginny's silhouette in the firelight. The flickering golden flames created brilliant highlights in her coppery hair, making it writhe and dance in a distinctly seductive manner; despite the many hours of training they had had and the missions they had undergone, her skin remained stubbornly pale, causing those cute brown freckles to stand out distinctly, especially around her nose and shoulders; her noble face was distinct but not arrogant, and her chocolaty brown eyes were soulful and deep with intelligence. Those lips... Harry tore his mind away from the incessant urge to ravage her right there and instead pulled her to one side, sitting on the armrest of a sofa and settling her in his lap.

"You're beautiful when you're mad, do you know that?" he asked rhetorically as he planted a row of kisses from behind her ear down to the hollow of her neck, barely slowing as he turned to the subject at hand, "you remember when we discussed making things more... permanent... last summer, the reasons why I said we should wait?" Ginny found herself having trouble concentrating on his words (or anything else for that matter) as his soft butterfly kisses sent tingles of pleasure down her spine. Seeing he was expecting a reply, Ginny rewinded the conversation of the past minute in her head and nodded after she had finally reached the question. Ginny sighed softly as he stopped kissing her, turning to see that he obviously wanted a more elaborated answer.

"You said that we were too young, that I ought to finish school first. You said I would not be able to help you unless I could first protect myself... that's why we started these trainings in the first place, isn't it?" she replied softly as she recalled the raw emotion of that particular meeting. The sound of Harry's voice brought her out of her stupor.

"Yes, I did say that. I wanted to wait for you to finish school, to have no regrets about our marriage. I also made a promise to myself. A promise that today shall be brought in for the tally." he paused a moment, looking unsure of himself, but quickly rallied at the tender smile she gave him, so sincere and well-meaning, "I promised myself that the day you could beat me in a training session, the day that you proved you could fully protect yourself, I would give you a chance to get your wish, mine too, I guess." He grinned ruefully at the last bit. Sliding Ginny off his lap and into the sofa, Harry waved off her questioning look, instead slipping his right hand into his robe pocket, fingering something inside. He turn to face his Ginny and gracefully fell onto one knee. Slipping an object out of his robes and into his palm, Harry Potter raised his right hand palm-side up as he flipped the lid of the velvety box open.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you marry me?" his voice was confident, hopeful and, in Ginny's opinion, downright sexy. Ginny's eyes widened and her jaw fell open at Harry's words, and a mantra began whirling round and round her mind: i Harry Potter just asked me to marry him... /i This was wonderful! The mysterious hero she had worshipped, the kind and noble boy she had befriended, the brave and honorable man she had fought side-by-side with; her wish had finally come true.

"Mmph..." she muttered eloquently, no words could describe the love she felt for this incredible person whom she felt blessed to be with, so she simply replied, "Of course I will, Harry!" As her engagement ring glowed warm around her ring finger, Ginny Weasley leapt into her fiancé's arms, bringing her lips to capture his in a tender kiss. She fisted her hands in his hair, desperately trying to pull him closer to her; her tongue ran teasingly along his lower lip, seeking entrance. As they vigorously explored each and every crevice of the other's mouth, the couple fell onto the couch, all thoughts of Death Eaters, Voldemort and trainings long lost to their minds.

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Harry slid out from Ginny's warm embrace, causing her to mutter in her sleep and roll over. Quietly, he padded across the room to the stairs and ascended to the second level. As he reached the carpeted floor of the landing, he sighed in relief and resumed his normal steps as he turned into the first bedroom on the right to retrieve the Pensieve he had inherited from Dumbledore. Placing the heavy stone basin on the study table, a flash of sorrow clouded Harry's eyes as memories of his time at Hogwarts returned to him; quickly, he cleared his mind and took out his wand. Placing it against his temple, he brought the first memory to the surface of his mind.

" i Extraxi /i ," he thought non-verbally. Feeling the familiar catch of his magic, he drew the strand away from his temple, watching as it swirled around his wand. Feeling strangely comforted by the gentle glow of his memory, Harry smiled softly as he placed his wand tip into the depression in the basin. He made sure that the runes around the bowl had lit up for a few seconds before withdrawing his wand. Pleased with his experiment thus far, Harry repeated the process thrice more, each time leaving the silvery substance in the Pensieve to join the growing ball of memories. Finally satisfied with his work, Harry stood up, walked to one of the intricately-carved bookshelves, and retrieved a small satchel made of coarse fabric.

Returning to the desk, he leaned over the shimmering surface of the basin and plunged in. As he feel, cheering and laughter began echoing about him. Glasses clinked and chairs scraped across the oaken floor. A large fire crackled as a group of Gryffindors lounged before it sipping butterbeers. A copper-haired girl twisted a runaway strand around her little finger and nervously chewed on it. Her forehead was creased slightly with worry and her lip was a little swollen with the constant nervous nibbling. An opened butterbeer lay forgotten by her side, gradually dribbling its contents into the cushion it was leaning against. For what seemed like the hundredth time that afternoon, Ginny Weasley turned her head to glance at the portrait hole. As she returned her listless gaze to the tiny griffins woven into the carpet once more, she saw a sudden movement in her peripheral vision.

The portrait hole creaked open. Harry watched as a younger version of himself stepped nervously through the door, a look of worry on his face. As people turned to see who had entered the tower, the loud chatter of the party escalated into a roar which shook the common room. The younger Harry was swept by a wave of pumping hands and screaming fans as a beaming Ron proudly waved the trophy above his head. Knowing what was soon to happen, Harry untied the knot of the satchel and took out the simple camera that Colin had lent to him.

Looking through the crystal viewfinder, Harry couldn't help but smile to himself as Ginny leapt to her feet, sending butterbeer splashing across the carpeted floor. Surging forward, she seemed to radiate determination as the crowd split before her, creating an aisle as she sprinted towards the surprised-looking Harry. With a mighty leap, she launched herself into his arms, wrapping her legs around his torso as he bent down to share their first kiss. Even as a tear wound its way down Harry's face, the camera's flash send clouds of purple smoke into the memory as he captured the raw emotion showing on both their faces. The shock quickly wore off Ginny's face, and soon she was lost in the passion of the moment. As the image began to blur, Harry sighed, quickly willing himself out of the pensieve so that he could work on the next few memories.

center /center 

Some one was calling his name.

Harry stirred.

Something hard was jabbing into his shoulder. Groaning slightly, Harry sniffled and drowsily raised himself out of the uncomfortable position he had fallen asleep in. Shaking his arms and stretching his neck, he tried to work the knots out of his sleep-stiffened muscles.

"Harry! Where are you? What do you want for breakfast? Answer me or I'll go up there and hex you myself..." Ginny's voice rang loudly through the house, causing Harry's head to snap up, quickly wiping the last cobwebs of sleep from his mind. Taking account of his surroundings, Harry realized that he must have fallen asleep after he had completed making Ginny's gift. He looked down and saw that he had been sleeping on the sharp corner of the photo frame and grimaced. Picking it up, he shuffled around the mess on his desk before placing it carefully onto a sheet of emerald coloured wrapping paper. With a flick of his wand, the gift wrapped itself neatly, even going to the extent of tying a pretty little ribbon over the seam of the paper. Harry quickly stuffed the package in his pocket and had just exited his room when he came face to face with Ginny's wand point.

"Didn't think you could lose me that easily, did you, love?" the stern tone of Ginny's voice was offset by the laughter clearly shining in her eyes. Being reminded of his good fortune the night before sent a burst of warmth rushing though Harry's body and he happily kissed his fiancée good morning, and then watched as she glided down to the kitchen to make breakfast for them both. Taking advantage of being alone, Harry quickly washed up and put on a clean robe, then walked towards Ginny's room to leave the present in the robes he knew she would have laid out on the bed for the day's use.

Pushing her door gently open a crack, Harry was glad to hear that it did not squeak. Opening it completely, he stopped to admire the quaint decor of her room, which she had moved into only a week ago. The Burrow had been attacked by the dregs of the Death Eaters, and Harry had decided that it was best if the Weasleys moved out until he had confronted Voldemort. Ginny had moved in with Harry, Ron to Hermione's London flat and Mr. & Mrs. Weasley to the Order Headquarters. The change in the room was stunning, as the once bare ceiling and walls had been transfigured into a cool shade of blue, with a border of delicate lilies along the edges. As his eyes drifted across her room, Harry took in the many knick-knacks and everyday items which made the room look so well lived-in.

All of a sudden, he spotted a movement in the corner of his eye. Spinning around, he drew his wand from the sleeve of his robe and got into a dueling pose, ready to take on whatever he had seen.

Ginny's robe lay innocently on her bed.

Harry advanced towards her bed after seeing that nothing else was out of the ordinary. There was an odd bump in the robe, around the size of a snitch. A spell ready on his lips, he used his wand tip to flip one side of the robe open. i What is that? /i he thought as he looked at the obviously scared creature. Its skin was a vibrant green and it was clad in an assortment of bits and pieces. The creature was humanoid in appearance, and was lying flat against the bed, its hands protectively around its head. Lowering his wand a little, Harry raised his other hand to show he was holding no other weapons. He bent over at the waist, trying to get a better look at the creature.

"What in Merlin's Beard are you?" he muttered wondrously.

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i A/N: Thank you for reading my lastest fic, been trying to find the commitment to write this plot line for weeks now.

Update: Developed the plot when I had free time today, look forward to more developed chapters coming up!

Thanks for reading, now review! /i 

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Copyright Geoffrey Lim 2006


	2. The Pocket Pixie

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b Disclaimer: This is JKR's world, I'm just messing in it. /b 

i A/N: Okay, here's the second installment of what I've decided will be a 4-parter. The beginning may be a little confusing, I guess, but bear with me, eh? Enjoy :)

A/N: There was actually a little problem cos I for got a close italics, thanks to harryluvsginny who pointed it out! /i 

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"Take me to M-Mistress..." the creature whispered fearfully, as if expecting Harry to hit him. i Mistress? /i Harry wondered, i surely he doesn't mean Ginny? /i Deciding that the creature wasn't hostile, Harry replaced his wand into his sleeve and approached the bed. The little pile quivered before two large eyes appeared from between its thin arms. As Harry reached out to touch it, it jerked back violently, scampering to the far side of the bed. Even this small movement seemed to have exhausted it as its chest rose and fell heavily while the creature recovered. It spoke once more.

"Get Mistress Ginny. I don't have long more..." its voice seemed a little surer, as if it was speaking after remaining mute for an age. The creature's statement left little doubt in Harry's mind as to who 'Mistress' was, but Harry's caution still caused him to distrust whatever it was.

"Prove to me that you won't harm her..." Harry ordered tersely, his care for Ginny overruling his pity for the creature. He waited, but the creature just stared back at him, slowly rising to its full height. Harry sensed a ghost of a wind against his Occlumency shields, but before he could do anything about it, there was a presence in his mind. b I will not... /b The mental voice of the creature was soft and calming, his age was there as well, but here it did not hoarsen him, instead, it tinted his presence with a cloak of warmth and experience. As he spoke, images entered Harry's mind.

i It was a simple room. The ramshackle walls had been painstakingly covered with a fresh coat of paint and colorful moving pictures of different types of animals covered the large cracks and such. There was a simple wooden chest full of toys yet to be played with, a few stuffed animals lining the walls and a well-worn crib in which a tiny bundle lay. A girl, a baby girl lay asleep in her crib, a soft woolen blanket tucked loosely around her. Soft fuzz covered her cheeks, as she sucked contentedly on her thumb, floating in the world of dreams. Harry gently lifted his hand and stroked the baby's cheek, his other tucking the blanket securely around his new charge. Emotions filled him as he simply let the child sleep. Emotions that were not his. /i 

The image whirled and changed, and Harry was once more in the room; but somehow, things had changed.

i The walls were still ramshackle, the floor still uneven and coarse. In the place of the colourful animals and stuffed toys, pencil and crayon drawings were plastered proudly on the wall, most containing either a stout man holding some sort of muggle contraption, a motherly-looking woman, three boys- two laughing while one sat studiously reading in the corner or a heavily-freckled lanky-looking boy. Each of them had brilliantly red hair, and all of them had smiles. But in some of the pictures, there was a little boy. A raven haired boy with a small scar on the forehead. He never wore a smile.

By the recently-installed bed, a four year old girl with crimson hair was adding to her collection. Her strokes were even and firm, as she drew herself into a family portrait. Her parents were the center of the drawing, with her brothers arrayed around them. But she did not join the rest of her family by their side; instead, the little red haired girl stood side by side with the lonely and lost looking boy. As she finished the drawing, a tear rolled down her cheek and onto the parchment, right beside the little boy. Harry's heart clenched and he decided to leave something nice for her to find today. /i 

Again, the world spun and faded.

i The walls were now bare, but painted a calm sea-green. A sturdy iron bed sat in the corner, next to an oak desk cum dresser. Now the room looked less lived-in. Gone were the scatterings of toys, drawings or other personal items. In their place, a half-unpacked school trunk lay at the foot of the bed. The only things out of place in the room were a few books scattered around the place, each forgotten as their owner had completed her work. Right now, she lay face up upon the bed, her eyes unseeing as she relived the horrors she had encountered the previous term. After minutes of contemplative silence, she turned on her side, scarlet hair forming a curtain across her tear-stained face as her body was wracked with sobs, grieving for innocence lost.

Seeing her alone in the room, Harry climbed out of his hiding place, invisible, and padded gently across the floor towards the now still form. Climbing deftly onto the bed, he placed a calming hand in the small of her back, willing his magic to comfort her. As warmth and emotion flowed through his fingertips, Harry couldn't help but remember the terrible things he had seen as well. As dark thoughts clouded his mind, the adolescent on the bed began to trash around, eyes rolling desperately as she fought off nightmarish creatures. Guilty, Harry quickly ordered his emotions, instantly ceasing the distress in the little girl. Using his tiny hand, he gently stroked Ginny's cheek, watching till his charge had sunk back into a pleasant slumber. /i 

b ...because I have been there. You are my Mistress' mate, you shall call her. I need to speak with her... one last time... /b Assured, Harry ignored his confusion for a moment before turning and leaning out the door.

"Ginny, love, will you come up here please?" Returning to the bed, Harry was struck with how odd it felt to relive a memory from a first-person point of view. The foreign emotions felt so strange as he observed the young Ginny. The creature's thoughts had also entered his own mind seamlessly, as he was immersed in the memory. Almost as if they had been his own. Harry was also a little worried about the creature's ability to seemingly pass through his Occlumency shields with no hindrances at all. He had worked with books and various people after Dumbledore's death to strengthen his mental defenses, and it had turned out that, contrary to Snape's belief, he had a talent for Occlumency. As his shields had built up, the visions and nightmares had stopped, and once, he had even resisted a full mental assault when Voldemort had been feeling particularly frustrated. How powerful was this creature that it could so easily slide right into the core of Harry's mind? The soft padding against the wooden floor announced Ginny's arrival to the second floor.

"Over here..." Harry called out. As her footsteps grew nearer, the creature on the bed seemed to perk up a little. Harry was a little perturbed by this, but remembered seeing the connection between them in its memories and decided to ask it later. Just then, Ginny pushed in the door and stepped into her room.

"Harry, what are you doing in here? Breakfast is downstairs and..." her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the creature on her bed, nerves rattled, she continued, "...what is t-that?" Ginny noticed Harry's wand was away and decided not to draw hers. Instead, she took a step closer and examined the tiny creature which was huddled up on her bed. Its odd-coloured skin was disturbing at best, although living as a witch since birth had numbed her a little to such differences. It also had beetle-black eyes, human-like hands, small feet and was all of seven inches in height, around one third the size of a house elf. The most disconcerting feature of the creature, however, was its soulful and obviously intelligent eyes; that and the sense of familiarity which it exuded. Harry's voice brought her back from her quiet observation.

"I was hoping you would be able to tell me," he muttered, looking oddly at the creature, "I don't think he's here to hurt us, but he showed me..." Here, his voice trailed off. Instead, he gestured towards the creature vaguely who in turn nodded and turned towards her. b Mistress... the hour of my death is close... quickly... /b Harry watched silently as Ginny froze for a moment, clearly shocked at the voice in her head. Using his Legilimency, Harry peeked in a little, and watched the odd magic which was intermingling with his within her. Abruptly, she seemed to return from the creature's memories. Ginny stumbled, but was quickly caught by Harry who stood and placed his arms around her waist.

"But... but... I was alone... you didn't..." she muttered incomprehensibly before she collected herself, apparently reaching the same conclusion as Harry of asking him later, instead, she continued steadily, "How did I see that? I was... you... I felt your emotions and your thoughts... Even in a Pensieve... What ARE you?" The creature finally stood up and bowed to Ginny awkwardly, his knees shaking a little before he sat back down.

"Mistress," here he was interrupted as Ginny made him promise not to call her that, "Miss, I have been living with you since you were born. In fact, I was born only an hour before you were... it is part of my magic. I am a Pocket Pixie, most wizards and witches do not know of our kind because we are only found in the truly magical blood lines. However, unlike other servitudal creatures, we do not reveal ourselves till the hour... of our deaths." The age of the Pixie seemed to double as he said it out loud, and he climbed slowly off the bed and walked towards Ginny. He reached out with his tiny finger and ran it slowly down her palm. b It is good to know you Miss, /b the voice echoed in both Harry and Ginny's minds, b you have grown into a beautiful and kind young woman. I am proud to have served you. My name is Alvaro. /b With that, Alvaro stepped back and sat crossed-legged on the floor. Seeing the confusion evident on both their faces, he began to speak once more.

"Our kind are kin to other Pixies, but we are rare in that our lives are linked to our charges- ," he was cut off again by a gasp from Harry, who glanced fearfully at his fiancée, care and concern clear in his eyes; the pixie quickly clarified," No... we are linked in a different way. She will not die. My kind are born, charged with protecting the eldest daughter in the family we serve. We are passed from mother to eldest daughter, in an unbroken chain. In my Mistress' case however, the family did not bear daughters for many generations. The daughters of her line are rare, and my kind are thus almost unknown to them. Even in other families, however, it is often kept a secret from all but the father; with whom the mother will work together with to bestow the magic upon their daughter." Ginny reeled at all this information. All this time, this creature had been following her around, protecting her, but still...

"You've been following me around my whole life? ...and I didn't notice? ...and what's this about you dying? Why..." she took a deep breath as she tried to reorganize her thoughts," ... and how are you linked to me?" Feeling emotionally exhausted, Ginny pulled Harry to the floor so that she could sit and then proceeded to wrap his arms around her. His warmth gave her strength and confidence, and she smiled at the thought that he could make her feel better by just being there.

"We have means, Ginny. I can use my magic to hide from everyone, as well as my size. Only certain rare magical creatures like unicorns and phoenixes can sense us... only the good; just as we cannot be sensed by dark creatures, neither can we be in families of dark blood. As to your second and last questions, are you sure you did not notice me? I have always been there, Mistress, just at the back of your head. Do you remember the time you fell as a child, the way you were suddenly calm? Do you remember how you healed yourself?" Alvaro's voice was soft and slow, and brought a feeling of comfort to Ginny.

"The orange light... it was your magic?" Ginny whispered wondrously, "Those times when I was feeling depressed...after the C-C-Chamber? You helped me, didn't you? I remember... the warmth and the hope... The voice of the friend that used to comfort me... after... Tom..." Ginny's eyes widened and tears welled up within them, tears of joy that she had had such a protector with her all that time. She leaned forward and embraced the Pixie in a hug; almost immediately, warmth and assurance radiated into her. Harry watched open-mouthed as a pink glow emanated from the pair, radiating outwards in a field of magic. As Ginny leaned back, Harry could see tears rolling down Alvaro's face and dripping off his chin and onto his clothes.

"I have longed often to reveal myself, Ginny... and it does me a lot of good that I have finally done it. But... that one time, it- it... I failed then, Mistress..." his voice broke, and he seemed to shrink a little as he remembered, "I could not stop the Dark Magic... I tried... I swear I tried... but it came, in a wave. I knew it was evil, and I made you suspect. I tried to fight it, but it was too strong. I- I was consumed by it. It was oblivion, Mistress. Only your own inner strength saved you then, despite all my magic... As it is soon to be again..." The pixie's eyes now gained a resolved look, although traces of pain of times past flashed through them now and again as memories flew by.

"I am about to die, because you are no longer my charge. Have you ever wondered why seventeen is the age of Wizarding adulthood? It is because in the old days, when girls who were protected reached the age of maturity, they were finally left completely on their own. On your seventeenth birthday, you stopped being my charge and became my Mistress, and the magic I used to protect you began to fail," Alvaro suddenly seemed to glow with an inner strength, and Harry knew that Ginny had found a way to pour her own emotions back to him; he continued, stronger," I am dying because I am no longer needed. As we speak, my magic pools in an indefinite space, forming into an egg which will keep my child till he is ready to be bestowed upon yours. That is the reason we reveal ourselves, we need our Mistress's help to brew the potion which will protect the egg until then..."

Ginny stood up at this, gently sliding Harry's hands from around her, ready to do her part. Listening to the Pixie's careful instruction, Ginny rushed off to get the many ingredients required to make the Potion of Protection. Even as she sped out the corridor, her wand was out and twirling as she began summoning items from around the house. Left alone, Harry turned back to look at the Pixie, who was eyeing him oddly. Clearing his throat a little, Harry decided that someone who had lived with Ginny her whole life couldn' t be that bad and thus conjured a small bed of cushions for the Pixie, and tried to make him as comfortable as possible. Soon, he found himself actually comfortable around the aged creature. Looking tired after its confession, the Pixie turned blearily to Harry and spoke.

"You are a rare person, Harry Potter..." he began in all seriousness," I can sense auras around people, and yours is very special. I am glad the Mistress has chosen you. You are good for her. I know that the two of you will live a very happy life, but for that, you need to understand Ginny a little better. Even now, you still know little of her childhood; and it is because of this that you underestimate her-" The Pixie was cut off as Harry raised his voice in protest.

"I've taken her on raids; I know what she is capable of and I trust her with my life." Harry said confidently, daring the Pixie to prove him wrong. Alvaro merely shook his head and sighed. He looked Harry in the eye and spoke, intelligence clearly visible through the fog of age.

"...and yet, you still doubt that what you do is right. You still doubt that you should take her to face the Dark Lord," he accused, his eyes flashing with protectiveness," You of all people should understand why she is ready to fight along-side you, and more importantly, why she must. You are not the only one with a score to settle with dear Tom, Harry Potter..." Harry felt in a tingle in his spine that had nothing to do with magic. The seed of doubt had been planted, and as it grew, Harry fearfully realised that what the Pixie had said was true. Despite everything, he had been doubtful of Ginny. All his recent actions had covered up a part of this, but now all pretence was ripped away and Harry realised that if he could not trust her implicitly, he could not trust anyone. His realisation was interrupted by Alvaro once more.

"So I have taken it upon myself as an atonement of sorts. For what I couldn't do in the past to help her, I will make up for now. You will lead her into her future, and to do that, you have to be understanding of what she will have to do to close the old wounds. I have a little time," as he spoke, his magic wound its way into Harry's consciousness. b You will see. /b Even before the echoes had left his mind, he was spinning back into infinity. This time, the rush he felt was quickly identified as loose emotions and thoughts, and Harry marveled at the Pixie's magical abilities before, with a sudden burst of consciousness, he sensed himself enter the body.

i A rumble shook the very earth Harry stood on. Everything was dark. Something jabbed up into Harry's legs and thighs. With a mighty heave, Harry managed to regain his feet and proceeded to try and move around the unstable environment. Another rumble, this one slower and more drawn out. All of a sudden the world seemed to tilt violently to one side and a blast of wind nearly knocked Harry off his feet- nearly; but not before a brilliant beam of orangey light flickered in from above. When the place had stilled a bit more, Harry's body suddenly seemed to move in response to someone else's' thought. Half-clenching his fingers, the elf conjured and shot a beam of blue light within himself. Immediately, Harry began to grow. As he grew, he found the space around him expanding, and at a whim, tried to reach both sides of the pocket at once, much to no avail. Getting back to watching his charge, the Pixie quickly scampered to the highest point in the pocket (in this case an old handful of moonstone she had filched from Mr. Filch).

Leaning over the side of the hemmed pocket, Harry/Alvaro was surprised to find Ginny doing something absolutely uncharacteristic. She was writing in a very small black leather book, with a look of intense concentration on her face. Harry wasn't even sure what was happening as half formed thoughts of everyday things like the weather and Quidditch burst into his mind unbidden. Finally, he was directly behind Ginny. As she finished her entry with an out-of-place florish, Harry spotted something on the page that made him gasp and stare straight at the book in horror.

b Hello, Ginny Weasley, my name is Tom Riddle... /b /i 

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i A/N: Much thanks to the miserably-small number of reviewers (1) who did my last chapter. Come right up and read on, everyone! Yay CCTs are over! Thanks for reading, now review :) /i 

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Copyright Geoffrey Lim 2006


	3. In the Past

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b Disclaimer: If I did own the Potterverse (which I don't), I would be swimming in money and ducks right now. /b 

i A/N: Okay, here's the third installment of what I had decided will be a 4-parter. However, due to a sudden burst of inspiration, this might become a 5-parter after all. Enjoy :)

A/N2: Okay, I know this came out a little later than expected, but I got infected by an illness called Strap throat or something... Gave me a mouth, throat, lips and tongue full of ulcers and a high fever to boot. Plus, I felt crappy for days. So your brave author battled his illness tirelessly for a week till he was better again to write for you :x /i 

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i b Hello, Ginny Weasley, my name is Tom Riddle... /b 

The words had barely faded back into the paper before Ginny's quill was speeding across the rough parchment pages once more. A look of wonder on her face, she sat back as she waited for her new found friend to reply. Harry stared as another string of words began appearing in his charge's book. Watching the silent exchange between Ginny and the diary, the alarm bells in Harry's head systematically went off as the time passed. Not only was the girl answering more and more personal questions without hesitation, but Harry's magical senses had detected something changing within his charge. He had to do something, he couldn't let her fall into the clutches of whatever was contained in the diary... loosening the hold on his mind, he focused on the link they shared before entering the forefront of Ginny's mind. The emotions her felt on behalf of Ginny now felt a hundred times stronger as he felt an unnatural calm descend over him. Something was definitely wrong. Launching himself to all extremes of her body, Harry found a trickle of unknown magic entering through the hand which rested lightly on the diary as she continued to write. Focusing on the thread of magic, he began following it up through Ginny as it wound its way to her cerebrum. He opened his senses fully.

/i The vile magic snaked its way past her heart, sending tendrils to wrap around it. i 

As the thread grew closer to her head, it grew in thickness until it was as wide as a wand. Now that it was larger, Harry could see the colours mirrored from deep within the thread. He shuddered.

/i Mossy greens and poisonous browns melded seamlessly on the filmy surface of the thread, even viler impurities writhing beneath the surface. i 

He dove deeper in still, feeling the magic pulsing about him, as he tried to sever the connection. He sent forth all his magic before him, hoping to gain a sense of the Darkness' weakness. The colour of the thread had deepened considerably, now a putrid shade of slate. Everything seemed to slow as Harry's magic reached Ginny's center. Where her core was supposed to be...

/i The remnants of a passionate crimson fire shrieked desperately, sending shards weaving through the blackness to find Alvaro's soft green web.

Even as they burst forth, the fire seems to dwindle into mere embers. The fiery rays squirmed, and were overwhelmed. i 

With the blackness, came silence. Cold, alien, silence. Time seemed irrelevant in the void, as Harry floated in limbo. The nothingness was broken as the unnatural voice spoke inside Harry's mind. /i 

b I was left alone, and she, without protection. My magic had failed, and so had I. It is my fault she bears the scars of her youth, and it is your duty to remove them. I have forced myself to see what she had endured, and I feel you must as well if you want to heal her. /b Before Harry could acknowledge his words, the blackness dissolved and Harry found himself looking at something blue.

i Clouds drifted serenely across the sky. Yes. The sky. Inside the castle. Something was wrong. Harry/ Ginny stood up. The last thing he remembered was writing back to Tom's message. /i Where am I? i Standing up, Harry brushed the grass off his robe before taking a look around. He was standing in an empty meadow, by a small grove of pine trees. A small stream trickled past on his left, winding its way from over a rise to the west. Rays of glorious sunlight danced upon the merry stream, causing the crystal-clear water to sparkle joyfully. Feeling a sudden urge, Harry breathed in the soft, fresh air of the meadow and headed towards the winding shape of the stream. Kneeling upon the pleasantly warm turf of the bank, Harry reached in, watching as his hand broke the surface of the icy water. He heard voices. Almost familiar, but... somehow changed...

They sang a song of hope and happiness, a light and joyful tune. They spoke of untroubled times, of innocence and play. Their voices raced in crescendo, calling upon power and passion to join the melodious cacophony. The rising emotions and conflicts of teen hood; the battles of mind and murder which shook the soul. The uncertainty, the inadequacy, the insecurity; the feeling of being... lost. At last, the story completed itself, with a climax of... silence. Pure, unadulterated silence. Perfection, calm, acceptance. The melody of still water, the voice of a tree and the song of sunlight.

...and Ginny knew she would be at peace with herself someday. Harry lifted his hand, letting water droplets cupped in his palm trickle slowly back to join its fellows. An odd ray of pink light caught a droplet as it fell, casting pale shadows upon the ground. Harry looks up suddenly. The sun no longer hung at ease in the sky, the air was no longer still or fresh. As the fiery orb descended across the sky, the light faded steadily, sending dark shadows creeping along the ground. The atmosphere grew cold and the water grew dark; Harry shivered as a figure appeared in the half light. His shadow slithered before him, unnaturally dark and dense.

His eyes were the first thing she noticed, cold and grey, nearly translucent. His hair was black and parted neatly to one side, his robes simple and unadorned. His sharp features stood out against his pale face, and moved with... haunting grace. He was handsome, he supposed, in a cold, detached way; but his presence- it felt so wrong in this place. As his thin lips curved into an almost mocking smile, Harry gasped and staggered back, the full force of the young man's evil slamming into him in that instant. Somehow, he knew, this was not what it seemed.

"Ginevra... I am Tom, /i your friend i ," the chill in his voice was unmistakable, and Harry patted his sides desperately, looking for his wand, " /i Come Here. i " The command rang so clear, so cold across the meadow. Harry found his body obeying and was unable to do anything about it. His eyes swung frantically about, searching for some sign of salvation, but even the landscape now seemed harsh and cold. The ground was bone dry, the grass having disappeared in an instant, a network of cracks now gracing its surface; the stand of trees now loomed threateningly in the corner of his eye. The stream was not dark or shadowed, but black. Inky from it's the depths to its surface, the pure thoughts a mere memory.

" /i You cannot resist me... i " Harry stood before the teenaged Tom Riddle, feeling his cold, lifeless hands wander across his body. The rough pads of his palms ran across Ginny's hips, lightly across the stomach, to possessively grasp Ginny's soft breasts, sending disgust and pain through her whole body. Slowly, Tom moved his hands upwards, digging into her tender shoulders before almost lovingly resting them at her delicate throat.

" /i ...because, I will control you... i " The words left his lips as a mere whisper, but they echoed around in Ginny's ears unstoppably, bringing forth horrible images. As his fingers closed upon Harry's windpipe, a delicate bruise began to form under his skin.

As Harry felt the terrifying constriction of his throat, the image of the soulless grey eyes began to fade into whiteness. The white was not that of purity or hope; it was a clinical white, so bright that shadows seemed to lurk in the corners of his vision. The coldness of his body was gone, but Harry still felt the sick presence within this place, even as he realized nothing could exist here. A memory sprang forth uncalled for.

b It was summer at the Burrow. Even as the reds and oranges of autumn blanketed the grounds around the Burrow, a little girl snuck out and kicked them up again in her haste to get to the broom shed. She had left unnoticed by her mother and had soon picked the lock and retrieved her brother's Cleansweep... /b The memory began to fade, while another sprang forth.

b A little girl sat up in the wide branches of the old oak tree, sobbing as she hugged her now destroyed doll to her chest. She had managed to hex the brothers who had done it, but Amelia would never come back... /b ...and another...

b An adolescent lay upon her bed, eyes closed as she dreamt of fairy tale endings, happiness, princes and a raven-haired boy... /b The memories came out faster and faster, Harry's efforts to stop them going unheeded. Tears welled up in his eyes as the helplessness of the situation sunk in... forced to watch as someone delved into his deepest... most personal...

b ...as she watched her grandfather's cold body being lowered into the ground...

...as she brooded once upon a stormy day...

...a bedtime story by the fire...

...a mother's embrace...

...her life...

...her... /b 

And he was watching.

Screaming echoed about the void, a flash of the meadow; screams filtering through from the stream... helpless, a woman screaming, screaming... /i 

"HARRY!" Ginny's voice tore through the veil of memory. As the last echoes of the screaming left the room, Harry realized it had been him who had been screaming. His throat burned, and tears rolled unashamedly down his cheeks. His arms shook with the effort, uncontrollable; reminding him of his helplessness...

"Harry! What's wrong?" the love and concern in her voice filled him with warm trickling hope, calming him and steadying him. Her soft arms were wrapped tightly around him as his sobs subsided. He turned towards her, twining his arms with hers, burying his head in her neck and taking in her scent. Her soft murmuring slowed his breathing and a sense of safety descended over him. The memory of what she had endured in her first year was still clear in his mind. He looked up, with new purpose burning within him. Harry sat back on his heels and pulled Ginny into a tighter embrace. He did not answer her question.

"I'm going to kill Tom for what he did to you; and you deserve to be there to help," his voice was below a whisper, but in the silence of the room, it seemed to ring with conviction. Ginny's hazel eyes widened slightly and glistened with the memories of days gone by. The remembrance of the silent torture she had endured elicited a soft moan of fear and her breathing became deep and forced. Rubbing her back softly with his calloused hand, Harry calmed her down. b Then I propose we begin the healing. I have a way you could gain an advantage over the Dark Lord, but you need to heal Mistress before we can proceed. I will be happy to assist. /b Ginny suddenly looked straight into Harry's eyes, the smoldering anger evident in her eyes.

"First, I want to see the prophecy as you saw it. I want to understand exactly what we need to do to kill him. I also want to see how you killed dear Tom the last few times, and h-h-how you saved me," she said, her voice unwavering, "then I want to find out what Alvaro can do for us, and then...then I want to go kill i him /i ." She spoke with a passion, and her tone was fierce, and yet Harry could still hear an underlying chord of something soft and beautiful in her speech. So familiar, yet so alien. Harry put it aside for the time being. Looking over at the Pixie lying on the bed, Harry made a decision.

"Alvaro, can you show only your and Ginny's memories? Or can we enter one of mine?" the Pixie did not hesitate to give a nod of assent, causing Harry to continue, "Alright, show this to Ginny." There was barely a warning as Ginny's world faded around her, as she landed in a somewhat familiar-looking room...

i Albus Dumbledore sat across the table from Ginny, his fingers steepled habitually beneath his chin.

The sudden jerk of longing in her chest took Ginny's chest took her by surprise, but the body she resided in failed to respond to the sight of seeing the dead headmaster quite so unreactively. Instead, barely restrained fury seemed to radiate from her as the feelings of loss and guilt wracked through her entire body, clouding her senses and blinding her with the need to take out her frustration on something.

"...This pain is part of being human -" /i I don't want to be human! I want Sirius to be okay, I want to be normal! i As the thought crossed her mind, her restraint failed and she leapt to her feet. Seeing a silver instrument on a nearby table, Ginny lunged towards it, catching it in a vice.

"THEN - I - DON'T - WANT - TO - BE - HUMAN!" she roared, flinging the silver instrument across the room. The soft, flickering firelight caught the delicate instrument in the apex of its arc, throwing a myriad of colours all over the Headmaster's office, before it resumed its last flight, shattering into the opposite wall. With the soft tinkle of the shards still ringing in her ears, Ginny's mind took a back seat as she let her unbridled fury take control. After a few minutes of raging, Dumbledore somehow managed to calm her down and Ginny soon found herself entrenched in a lengthily discussion. As the feelings of guilt, sorrow and resentment began to bog her down, Dumbledore made the startling revelation about the prophecy. Ginny sat, shell-shocked, as the wizened old man strode past her, the stone basin in his arms. As the tip of his wand left the silvery vapor, a shawl-draped figure rose out of the depths.

" /i The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who had thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as an equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies... i "

Ginny fell back into the chair as the figure of Professor Trelawney dissolved back into the depths of the Pensieve. The emotional weight of what she had just heard was amazing... she was the only one who could defeat the Dark Lord... All those attempts to be normal; futile. All because of a prophecy that had been made before he had been born. Everyone was depending on him. His future had been decided long before he had even known his own name... /i 

As Ginny closed her eyes in resignation, the world dissolved around her as she returned to the present. Returned to the safety of her fiancé's arms. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she held the man she loved to her, finally understanding the full weight of responsibility he carried everywhere he went. She had always understood him better than his friends or family, even better than Ron and Hermione; but she had never truly realised the extent of his emotional scarring. Tears of sorrow fled, and those of joy arrived as she marveled at the simple fact that he had come along so well from the misunderstanding and abuse he had suffered throughout his childhood.

As the day trickled away slowly, Ginny experienced each and every meaningful encounter which had changed Harry in his young life; each time emerging with tears in her eyes and fire in her soul. Every time she returned, she was met with the gentle and understanding reassurance of Harry's warm embrace. She knew he had been withholding this memory, and silently, she thanked him for it as she had experienced each of his memories, slowly building up an emotional wall from Lord Voldemort, shielding her and healing her scars. Now, the time had come. The time when she would again face Tom Riddle.

The same Tom she had faced six years ago as a child in her first year.

The same Tom who had controlled and tortured her.

The same Tom who destroyed her childhood.

Robbed her innocence from her.

Mentally raped her.

i Him. /i 

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Ginny gasped for breath. The horrible clamminess of the Chamber still stuck to her skin, bringing back long-forgotten memories. Seeing the new Voldemort had not prepared her for his striking face, the pale skin, and those icy, grey eyes. The face that had haunted her dreams for years. She had grinned inwardly in savage pleasure as she watched the fang penetrate that familiar leather diary. The tiny black book which had been companion to her for an entire year. He had destroyed it, and in doing so, he had saved her. At the tender age of eleven, she had fallen into his debt, and had fallen for him. Over time, that spark had developed, as she watched his silent brooding, his moody days. She had sat by, unnoticed, through the dark and light times, the ever companion in the shadows. Till she had finally worked up the nerve in her fifth year. They had fallen in love. As joy coursed within her to chase the misery away, a brilliant smile blossomed upon her face, and she thought of their love.

Harry watched silently as she emerged from the memory, as Ginny had flowed through the range of emotions which he knew would be battling within her. Slowly, her luscious lips curved up at the edges, and her eyes sparkled, lighting her delicate features up with an inner fire. He sighed softly, absently using the back of his hand to brush a soft crimson lock of hair from her face. He could sit there for ages, taking in her beauty. He knew he would never tire of just watching her, even when she was old and wrinkled, and he knew he had not made the wrong decision the night before. Her creamy skin, the light dusting of freckles which graced her nose and cheeks; her full lips and noble features which were crowned by her exquisite auburn hair. Last, and definitely his favorite, her deep, chocolate brown eyes, brimming with emotion and intelligence. However, he also admired her strength and how she bit her bottom lip when she was nervous, the way her neck tensed when she was furious, and the way her beautiful eyes glittered when she was happy. He was brought out of his musings by her musical laugh.

"Already going weird on me, Potter?" Ginny giggled at the way he blushed hotly at being caught staring, quickly averting his eyes and examining the floor; undeterred, she continued her teasing, "Or were you just checking me out? Ron would flip if he had seen that..." She fluttered her eyelashes prettily as he looked up, worry written clearly on his face. Laughing again, she leaned closer to him, wrapping her slender arms around his chest, pulling him in for a swift kiss. As she pulled back, Harry felt the fire of her kiss spread unhindered through his body, searing his nerves with passion. Her face was inches from his; he could see each of her freckles nearly hidden in the healthy pink of her cheeks as her face heated under his scrutiny. Her lips were damp from crying, but her eyes betrayed the inferno in her blood. Without further ado, his cradled her in his arms and pulled her in for another kiss.

Ginny fisted her hands in Harry's messy black hair, pulling him down to the floor next to her. He felt his tongue run gently over her lips, seeking entrance, and immediately reciprocated the gesture with interest. As their snogging intensified, a gentle rumble seemed to grow from Harry's throat and as the vibration increased, Ginny heard the soft and, in her opinion, very sexy moan which he let out. She protested half-heartedly as she felt his lips break away, till they descended once more upon the soft skin at the juncture of her neck and shoulders. He littered butterfly kisses in a row from her jaw to her suddenly bare shoulder, each touch setting her skin alight. His calloused hands ran along the small of her back, beneath her robe, the friction against her skin causing delightful little shivers to run up her spine. Just as things were about to get a little out of hand, a gentle cough interrupted them.

Both blushing madly, Harry and Ginny sat up, smoothing their clothes and neatening their mussed hair. Apparently, they had both forgotten the presence of the Pocket Pixie in the room. They turned to him expectantly, and were surprised to see the wizened old creature's cheeks flaming as well. Nervously, he cleared his throat.

"Ahem... W-W- Well, normally, I temporarily close the connection when this kind of thing happens..." if it had been possible, the couple's cheeks might have deepened a shade, as it was, it was not, so he continued, "Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I trust you are stronger from your experiences, Mistress?" At his words, Ginny fidgeted a little at the appellation.

"Yes, I did. I thought I was strong enough to face him before this on my own, but I was wrong. I found that out when I entered the second memory. The sight of Voldemort seemed to paralyze me somehow, but now I see that he can be defeated. It is not that I do not fear him anymore, that would be foolish; and yet, somehow, I feel more confident and I know that I can do something to help," at these words, Ginny turned to face Harry, something changing in her tone of voice, "I know alone I am not strong enough to face him, but I know that you are. I will support you, Harry. I will fight for you to get you to the place and time you need to be to kill dear Tom, even if I have to do it with my last breath..." Harry stared straight into her deep, hazel eyes; and she into his clear, emerald ones. A flash of understanding passed between them.

"I know." he replied simply, and he did. The passion in her voice was so pure, so unmarred. He knew she would fight till the last, as he would, and he knew that he could do nothing to stop it, and had no right to. The conviction in his heart was clear, Ginny deserved to see the end of Tom Riddle as much as he did. This time, with deliberate slowness and emotion, he pressed a chaste kiss to her tender lips, reveling in the beauty of their love. At the wondrous look in his eyes, Ginny laughed softly, musically.

The melodious quality he had noticed in her voice earlier was still present, but now it was hard and certain. Harry smiled because it was hauntingly familiar and he knew what it was.

The chord was the sound which personified her.

The sound of the voices in the stream.

And it was simply Ginny, his Ginny.

Her past, present & future.

It was her soul.

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i A/N: Yay! After a lot of slacking and sickness on this chapter, I finally finished it with 2 days of determination. Note to self- never procrastinate jumping over mental blocks; they just get bigger over time. This goes out to all ex-Rosythians Batch of '04! Come to the Batch Party on the 6th of September! Thanks for reading, now review :) /i 

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Copyright Geoffrey Lim 2006


	4. In Your Soul

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b Disclaimer: If I did own the Potterverse (which I don't), I would build a glass house and buy a duck. /b 

i A/N: With the September holidays now, I don't really have an excuse to delay writing... oh well xD Enjoy :) /i 

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...her soul...

The revelation of a few minutes still stunned Harry, and yet... he realised that it should not have surprised him. He should never have doubted her abilities; he should never have doubted her. If there was any woman whom he could trust to fight by him, to go the ends of the earth, it was her. Ginny had always been there; even when he had not noticed her. In his third year, she had been his confidant as his two best friends had torn each others' throats out. In his fourth, she had been one of those who had never doubted him, having always cheered him on and even having defended him against her brother's jealousy attacks countless times. In his fifth year, she had opened up to him, through the DA and while he had been at Grimmauld Place, understanding his anxieties and spurring him on. She had even surpassed his wildest expectations is coming to the Department of Mysteries in the ultimate show of her friendship and trust. In the summer of his sixth year, she had borne him through another bout of his moodiness and depression, without being overbearing like the adults who had attempted to speak to him. She had been there.

In his sixth year, she had become the pseudo-fourth member of the Gryffindor Trio, and he had truly come to appreciate her fiery attitude, intelligence and spunk. Despite having her own circles of friends and relationships, she had always found time for him when he had needed someone to be there, or to talk with. Ginny had slowly become the rock in the storm, his anchor to normalcy; she had talked him through his frustrations and worked his problems out with him. She had become on of his best and closest friends, and he could always tell her the most personal of things which he dare not even tell Ron or Hermione. Their close relationship had only further blossomed and developed when he had finally worked up the courage to acknowledge her for the girl she was, and it seemed she had never left him ever since. When he had left Hogwarts in his seventh year with Ron and Hermione, she had followed, undeterred by the dangers they knew they would face. Through the past two years, she had trained with them, followed them on Horcrux Hunts, and proved her worth countless times in the face of danger. She wasn't 'Ron's little sister' anymore, she was just Ginny.

His Ginny...

i Where did that come from? /i Harry thought. When he had thought that earlier... it had felt so right. He had a sudden urge to say it out loud, but repressed it just in case his sudden possessiveness creeped her out. As the thought crossed his mind, a burst of happiness seemed to flare from his core as he watched his wife-to-be. She was so beautiful, not only with her fiery locks and cute freckles, but also shining with inner beauty: her compassion, her determination and her steadfastness. In the silence of the moment caused by his earlier acknowledgement of her loyalty, he observed her just sitting there, with her innate confidence and bubblyness. Her eyes sparkling, her lips swollen from their kisses, slightly parted, her neck flushed Weasley red. He simply enjoyed the peace of the moment; no dark memories, prophecies or Death Eaters; just Harry and Ginny, and he basked in her presence.

"I am glad that the two of you have come to an understanding," the dry rasp of Alvaro's cut through his pondering like a spell through Kneazle hide, "now... there is something more that you must know. This ability to share memories and experiences is... not common..." He was interrupted as Ginny raised an objection.

"But weren't you the one that drew the memories out for us and allowed us to experience them? Surely, if someone else found out about their Pocket Pixie..." her protest trailed off as Alvaro raised a frail hand.

"No, Mistress. It is true that all Pixies reveal themselves to their bonded females nearing their time of death; however, it is nearly unknown for the memory sharing ability to be used beyond that bond. That is to say, no one, no matter if it is a spouse, loved one or any other, is normally able to partake in the reliving of memories," pausing momentarily, Alvaro seemed to peer deeper into Ginny's eyes to make sure she understood the magnitude of what he was saying, before he continued, "You see, the sharing of memories is reserved only for those who are... bonded." The silence which descended upon the room was, while thick, not oppressive. It was the silence of confusion. Realising this, the Pocket Pixie continued, getting a little agitated that his Mistress and her mate did not understand the significance of what he was saying.

"There is... are... the beginnings of a bond between the Mistress Ginny and her mate. This bond is special, and unique... there has not been another such bond for centuries. It is a Soul Bond..." at this, both Harry and Ginny's foreheads creased in confusion, and Alvaro quickly answered the question in their eyes, "it is a rare Bond. Few, less than two in ten thousand, are born with their soul mates bonded to them; and the number of fully-bonded people is even lower, as many of these bonds are never given the opportunity to manifest properly. It is therefore extremely lucky, that your bond had developed naturally..." As he spoke, the couple unconsciously moved closer together, clasping hands and seemingly trying to find comfort in the other, to find some spark of understanding.

"...However," his voice suddenly deepened significantly, a trace of bitterness entering it, "this might not be enough in this case... C-Circumstances... they bring worrying scenarios into the realms of speculation and possibility. There are tales... old tales which have been passed down through the magic of the Pocket Pixies for millennia. They speak of a special bonded pair who are destined to save all of wizard kind, all of mankind for that matter. There have been attempts through the centuries of course... pairs who have tried and... failed..." he spoke softly, but in the silence of the room, each word hung tantalizingly in the air, "I believe that the time has come to try again. I believe that this was the time of need which was spoken of. I believe that the time has come to invoke the Old Magic once more..."

"What exactly was special about the bonded pair the old tales speak of?" Harry asked quietly, speaking for the first time in several minutes, "You also said that some have failed... how did they fail?" All of a sudden, Alvaro looked more tired than ever; his age shown through as he began to speak of the things which he knew could threaten the fate of the world as they knew it.

"This bonded pair is unique in the fact that... they will not bond naturally. It is told that they will invoke the Old Magic, an ancient brand of magic that runs in the blood of all magical creatures, to speed up the development of their bond; and in doing so, give them the power to defeat a great Evil..." as Alvaro stopped to take a rattling breath, Ginny couldn't help but notice the old Pixie seemed more worn out than ever, and realised that much of his magic must have been transferred to the egg by now, her thoughts were interrupted by his continuation, "but the Old Magic is, as I said, ancient. It has not been invoked in such a way in generations upon generations. It is unpredictable, and those not destined to use it... they have died. In their attempts to meddle unlawfully with their souls, they have committed the ultimate crime, much like the Dark Lord has done... in doing that without the correct knowledge and ability, their souls have been the forfeit..." As he spoke the last sentences, bitterness entered his voice, displaying his scorn of those who had thought themselves invincible.

"I WILL NOT RISK GINNY'S LIFE FOR A FOOL'S CHANCE! IF YOU-" Harry's cry of outrage was cut off with a wave of Ginny's wand. However, she did not reprimand him. Instead, she turned back to the Pixie and addressed Alvaro while Harry glared daggers at him.

"But, why would anyone risk their lives, and the lives of their soul mates to do such a thing? Why are you so certain it won't happen to us as well?"

"It is because the rewards for that risk are great. Using the Old Magic to enforce and build a bond would infuse great power in the bond- not only Magical Energy, but also Life Energy. Power breeds greed; and greed breeds madness. The temptation of nearly unparalleled power has corrupted several bonds through the course of history. Each time, they have failed... because they were driven by greed. Driven in their lust for power until one or both partners were insane for it..." Alvaro's voice lost the bitter edge and gained a curious tone of wonder, "but, I know that it will not happen to you. Not only is this bond blessed by wizard prophecy, but I have seen the work of the Ancients with my own eyes. Even in the company of other bonded pairs, your bond is unique because not only are you both uncommonly powerful, but you have never used that power for your own gain. Harry, for instance, has had power since the moment he got that scar... Unwillingly I know, but still true. What has he done with the power he inherited at such a young age? Has he turned crowds with it? Gotten his own way? Used it for his pleasure? No. At every instance I have seen, Harry Potter has done what helped others, even if they did not know it themselves. This nobleness of spirit is something to admire..." The Pixie stopped as a fit of coughing overtook him, making him wheeze for breath. Ginny immediately leapt forward to help him. When he had finally calmed down once more, he continued.

"Of course, you, Mistress, are powerful in your own right as I know you have discovered. The only female child in seven generations, and born seventh in line as well? You, too, have not abused your power; but that is not all. You do not live in a mansion, or have house elves or servants; and yet, you are of one of the oldest bloodlines. Have you attempted to rise above others? No. You are not overly ambitious like your brother, nor passive like your mother. You are always making efforts to help those around you, regardless of your own comfort or wellbeing. This, Mistress, is the second thing which makes me sure that the Old Magic can be trusted to both of you..." sitting up a little straighter, he said almost at a whisper, "and I am very proud of the fact..." As the words left his mouth, his eyes rolled up into his head and he fell back onto the bed, motionless.

center /center 

"How is he?" Ginny murmured into Harry's ear. Surprisingly, he was not surprised at all, having somehow known that she was near. Drawing her in to a hug, he turned to look at the old Pixie who was now sleeping peacefully on Ginny's bed. They had had quite a shock earlier, but with Ginny's healing skills and Harry's cool head; they had quickly taken control of the situation and gotten him stabilized. For the past hour, Harry had cared for the aged Pixie while Ginny had returned to the sitting room where she had been brewing the Potion of Protection.

"He's still sleeping, but I've been feeling disturbances in his magic for while... I think it's nearly time," he replied, "do you think we should wake him up?" Nodding at his assessment, Ginny responded by releasing him and leaning over the bed. With one hand, she carefully nudged the Pocket Pixie's shoulder. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. After a moment or two of disorientation, he sat up and looked the two teenagers up and down.

b Have you decided on your course of action? /b his mental voice seemed no stronger than his normal one now.

"We have..." Ginny responded, looking at Harry for reassurance, she smiled as he snaked his arm around her stomach and planted a soft kiss on her temple, "We thought about what you said, about the risks involved and the reasons why we wanted to do it. We realised you're right. We know some of what you have told us; Voldemort has meddled with his soul... he has created Horcruxes, all of which we have found and destroyed. If what you say is true, however, the remaining seventh of his soul may be twisted enough to grant him extra powers... W-We will..." Here, she stopped, finding herself unable to continue with the words which would change her life forever. As she leaned into Harry for comfort, he continued speaking, as he sympathetically stroked her crimson tresses.

"We will invoke the Old Magic. Tell us how to do it..."

b The process itself is not hard, but it will take strength of will. It is irreversible. You are sure? /b 

"We are." Harry and Ginny replied together, their voices blending effortlessly.

b Then Mistress will need to bring a flask of the Potion of Protection here. I will need to take it before we can begin. This ritual will take all of my remaining strength; I am not sure how the egg will enter this world, but I suggest you be prudent and hope that the potion does not fail. Now, Mistress, if you please... /b Decidedly calmer, Ginny stood up from her half-kneel and turned around, footsteps echoing in the silent house as she left to retrieve a vial of the Potion. The moment she had left the room, the Pocket Pixie raised one shaking arm and gestured for Harry to scoot closer to the bed. Even without speaking out loud, the fierce glare he imparted upon Harry was reminiscent of those he had previously received from Ron, Charlie and Bill.

b You better take good care of her, Harry Potter. She's special, she's strong; but she is also still just a young woman. I may not be able to pop out of her robes and hex you for much longer, but rest assured... /b here, he paused as with a sudden burst of energy, he drew himself up to his full height, looking Harry straight in the eye, b ...if you take one unwelcome liberty with Mistress Ginny or her heart, you will find yourself in a i very /i uncomfortable position one day... /b With his piece said, Alvaro fell back against the sheets, clearly exhausted. Harry had intended to respond, but hearing Ginny's familiar footfalls, he resorted to looking the Pixie in the eye and giving him a solemn nod of affirmation. Just as he returned to his original position, the door swung open to reveal Ginny with a crystal vial in her hand. Not noticing the slight tension in the room, she strode in quickly, uncorking the vial as she did so. As the aged Pixie's fingers closed upon the patterned surface of the cut crystal, a slight plume of reddish smoke rose from its mouth, causing him to smile in satisfaction. Raising the vial, he turned to the teenagers just before the vial touched his lip.

b After I drink the Potion, I will cast a Sharing; something which you are both less than familiar with, I presume? It is that which you, Mister Potter, saw within Ginny's memories just now. A Sharing can connect the minds of two bonded individuals for the sharing of magic and such, but today, we attempt something more drastic. I will see you there... /b Alvaro sighed softly as the Potion trickled into his open mouth, b Bottoms up! /b 

center /center 

i "Woah..." Harry and Ginny breathed as they looked around. It was not what they had expected, to say the least. Apparently, their minds had changed. Gone was the empty meadow and the lone stand of pine... Instead, the landscape was filled with both the exotic and the curious. Around them, seemingly normal bushes were found to have fruits in the shape of magical clocks and stuffed toys, and... contrary to all beliefs, DA coins seemed to be growing quite successfully from an aged willow. Aside from the curiosities of their past, however, the landscape itself seemed to be clearly strange.

Primarily on the side Harry was standing, the ground was firm and dry, but covered in a rich chocolate-coloured loam. On Ginny's side, the light soil was covered with a neat layer of cow grass, studded here and there with sprigs of wildflowers. Near the border, the two types of ground seemed to have converged into a pleasant soft of earth. In the sir, the sky seemed much the same; two distinct types could be seen intermingling in the heavens, created a sort of patchwork of clouds.

/i That is very strange... i Harry thought, looking at the curious distribution of plants, ground and sky.

/i Erm... did you just say that out loud, Harry? i As the distinctly female thought entered his mind, Harry spun around to face Ginny in shock.

/i Nope, I guess we can do this in here... Where do you suppose 'here' is anyway? i Harry said, turning away to examine their surroundings once more.

/i I guess this is the place where our minds are meeting... i Ginny was interrupted by Alvaro's voice.

b That is correct, Mistress. However, we do not have enough time to admire the scenery right now; we must get to the task at hand. Are you ready? /b Seeing the nods of assent, Alvaro moved surprisingly quickly down the slight slope, presumably into the center or the meadow, b Now... both of you can probably only feel the flow of your own soul right now; you each need to reveal your souls to yourself and the other. Just focus on the other person and will it to be so... /b 

Closing his eyes, Harry concentrated on everything he knew about himself, willing the symbol of his life to appear. Next, he pictured his Ginny... Her fiery temper, her quick wit and her spunkiness... Remembering a recent brush with the Death Eaters where she had taken down a dozen to rescue Ron and Hermione, Harry fixed a picture of her in his mind and willed his stream to be visible. Hearing a small intake of breath, he opened his eyes to see Ginny admiring their handiwork. Before them, in the ground that had been bare moments before, two merry streams ran nearly parallel to each other into the distance. On the surface, both streams were nearly identical. The water was crystal clear, sparkling gaily as sunlight caught each of its facets as it sped along its course into infinity. An aura of calmness seemed to radiate from them, contrasting with their current apprehension at what they were about to try.

b Now, I will invoke the Old Magic. I will need the two of you to stand by your own streams, on opposite banks. /b When they had carried out his directive, the old Pixie continued, b When the time is right, place your hands gently with the water and familiarize yourself with the feel of it. You will understand what I mean when you have done so. I want you to /i remember i the feel of it! It is vital to the success of the bonding... /b The threat in his voice was clear, and neither Harry nor Ginny felt foolish enough to question him. Somehow, the tension in the meadow seemed to increase tenfold as Alfaro moved deftly to step upon the strip of ground between the two streams. As the aged Pixie raised his arms to the sky, an unearthly silence blanketed the place. After a few moments of the stillness, Alvaro seemed to come back to life, lips moving silently as he mouthed an ancient incantation. Slowly, his voice rose to a gentle hum, rising as an orange glow grew from his chest. As the orange light expanded, it seemed to grow brighter, forcing Harry and Ginny to look away after a few minutes. As the tension in the air built, the colour of Alvaro's magic darkened, deepening to a nearly brick red tone. The Pixie's chanting continued to rise in pitch and volume till at last he was shouting up into the heavens.

/i Altus Optimates Exaudio Vos

Vos Exaudio Meus Citatio!

Vestra Vetus Magus,

Videlicet Indigeo

Aduivo

Amor! i 

What followed would stay etched in the teenagers' minds forever. There was a sudden release of pressure. It was not silence- the lack of sound... it was an almost tangible silence. The explosion was that of noiselessness itself. Defying all logic, Harry and Ginny watched on as an indescribably bright beam of golden light burst forth from the sky, roaring towards the ground they were standing on. The golden light gave off an aura of power, and Harry and Ginny knew that the Ancients had answered their call. In that infinite second, they observed the beam as it came closer to them. It was almost... alive. Beneath the surface, a pent up energy raced around, releasing immediately as it hit the ground in between the two streams, exploding as it did so. Bolts of golden light raced out from the original beam, encapsuling the two teens and leaping into the streams. As the immediate area was covered, the rest of the light sped along the surface of the water, over the crest of the hill and into the abyss. Seeing the mass of golden light, Harry and Ginny were momentarily struck silent by the beauty of everything they were seeing. They were brought out of their reverie by the sound of Alvaro's extremely weak voice.

b Now... you must do it now... /i Remember the sounds! i /b Hearing his desperation, they quickly fell to their knees, ready to carry out his instructions once more. Harry raised his right hand, letting it hover over the now golden surface of his stream. Shooting a quick glance across the water, he was given strength as he saw Ginny about to do the same. Breathing in deeply, he brought his hand down, submerging it into the icy water.

/i Voices sang once more... they told a story of great sadness... of instability and abuse. They sang of longing, envy and worry... of the helplessness of a child... The song changed as the pitch of the voices increased, with a single note of hope breaking through all the rest; but the soft drone soon grew in strength, building slowly as anger, joy and insecurity joined the fray. With a scream, the hope was cut off as a new voice took the spotlight. Cold, uncaring... i despondency... resignation... despair... /i But then, the note of hope rose again, rebirthed from the embers like a phoenix. Stronger and more certain than ever before. Slowly, the other voices began to die off. All that was left was the voice of Hope and the voice of Despair. The fought and sullied, winding in a haunting melody as each tried to gain the upper hand...

But... a new voice joins the chorus. It is firm, noble, sure. It echoes the voice of Hope, urging it on with gentle caresses of the voice. It twines around and around Hope, till two have become one; and another voice joins the fray.

And another.

And another.

Till the voice of Despair is reduced to a soft whisper, and then it is gone. The voices of Hope sing free again... like the cry of the cliff eagle, the roar of a forest bear, the howl of a mountain wolf; and the laughter of a joyful teen... i 

And then it is over. The song ceases in the stream, but lives on in Harry's mind. It never goes away; it had never left. Alvaro speaks.

b You have done well, Harry and Ginny. Now, you must will your souls to merge. Keep your hands in contact with the stream, and will them to join, not in the distance, but close by... It must be done soon, I cannot maintain this for much longer... /b His voice trailed off as the couple turned back to the task at hand.

Still reeling from the rush of feeling, Ginny acted on instinct and placed her other hand into the stream. Closing her eyes, she plunged her magic into the water, seeping the tendrils of her will into every droplet of water and grain of sand. With a slight grunt, she clenched her fists, focusing her thoughts to being with Harry... /i My Harry... i As the words leapt into her mind, a sudden burst of strength rushed through her entire being. Opening her eyes, she watched as the golden light within her pulsed out through her hands and into the stream. Ginny gasped as reality shifted. Her stream was now just a few inches from Harry's. Looking up, she found herself staring directly into his eyes. With both of them leaning into the water, their faces were mere centimeters apart... their lips met in a soft kiss.

/i My Ginny i Harry thought.

/i Your Ginny i she replied, deepening the kiss.

/i My Harry i Ginny raised one arm out of the water and barely noticed as it came to rest in Harry's stream.

/i Your Harry i 

All of a sudden, reality gave another shudder.

/i Rapture.

The raw emotion which flowed through the two teenagers was mind-blowing. Power coursed through their veins as they shared pure awareness. They could see, feel, taste, smell, hear, and sense... everything. Every single thing the other had ever experienced or felt, they knew now. Voices emerged in symphony as their love overtook all of it. Ecstasy. Euphoria. Bliss. Fulfillment. Harry and Ginny were nearly lost... i 

b REMEMBER YOUR SONG! DON'T LOSE YOURSELF! KEEP YOUR MINDS APART, REMEMBER THE VOICES! /b Alvaro's desperate cry barely cut through the jubilation they were currently feeling, but they still heard it. Using pure force of will, the teens pulled themselves away from each other, blocking out the sense of loss...

Harry cried out as he broke away from Ginny. /i My Ginny i he thought. With a grunt of pain, he slammed his eyes close, urgently trying to recall the song of his soul. The voices... they were there... hiding... There.

/i The voices of Hope sang free. The wail of a newborn, the laughter of a friend, the pride of a mother; the cry of a lover... i 

And he was Harry. He opened his eyes. Ginny was by his side. No words needed to be passed between them. He just held her close to him, reveling in her presence. They looked at their stream. No longer were they apart. In place of the clear waters, a prismatic array of dancing light met their eyes. As the water bubbled and rushed joyfully away, Ginny could have sworn he had seen golden streak in it. She leaned up to press her soft lips against Harry's rough ones. /i My Harry... i All of a sudden, their peace was shattered. /i 

b MOVE! /b Alvaro's scream tore through their minds, wrenching them back from the Sharing. The Pocket Pixie floated a foot above the bed, his limbs spread and eyes nearly shut. Sensing something was about to happen, Harry half-stood, pulling Ginny up with him. Before he could pull them to safety, a sudden wave of magic slammed them off their feet and into the far wall. They quickly regained their senses and turned to look at the spectacle on Ginny's bed. Orange light surrounded the Pixie once more, building up in a pulsing aura around him. As the pulses grew faster, the air nearly crackled with the amount of Magical Energy present.

b G-G-Goodbye... Master and Mistress... /b With those final words, Alvaro looked directly into their eyes before his body imploded in a flash of orange light. There was a 'crack' and roaring purple flames burst forth from the spot he had occupied in mid air.

The flames rushed out.

Harry reached for his wand, finding it missing.

He turned, pulling Ginny between his body and the wall.

The flames never arrived.

There was a sudden hiss. Harry and Ginny watched as the flames were stopped by a shimmering wall of reddish smoke. In a flash, it came to them. i The Potion of Protection /i . When the smoke had cleared, Harry and Ginny ventured forward, wands out. Ginny's bed was gone. In its place, a slight mound of ash and charred wood lay on the ground. A circle of charred floor marked a radius of ten feet from the bed. A glowing purple egg lay in the center of it all; a flawless sphere of a few inches in diameter.

As Harry reached out to pick it up, his hand met with the same reddish smoke barrier of Protection. Turning to Ginny, a certain twinkle entered his eye. He stepped forward till they were a few inches apart.

"Well, you can't stay here till the egg has been moved..." he said, planting soft kisses down her neck, "Looks like you'll be sleeping with me for awhile, eh?" Ginny pulled back, looking affronted.

"Are you making advances on me, Mr. Potter?" she demanded, laughter in her eyes. Wrapping his arms around her, Harry shot her a sly grin.

"What if I am?" he whispered before continuing his ministrations, eliciting a short gasp.

"Maybe I don't want to?" she replied breathlessly.

"I guess we'll have to work hard to move it, then..." he murmured into her ear, drawing back, he continued, "And that means, we have to get a daughter...Mrs. Potter..." Harry couldn't help but moan as she pressed her soft lips against his pulse point, lust and love in her eyes.

"Soon..." she whispered, pulling him out the door and into his room.

The door shut with a click.

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i A/N: Yay! Chapter 4 is finally done! I've been in a frenzy these two days trying to plan and write this chapter. As with all times I have a good day, it has overshot again... by around 2000 words :3 Thanks for reading, now review :)

A/N2: In case you were wondering, the following is the translation of the Declaration earlier. To those who study Latin: I apologize in advance for massacring you language :X

Ancient Lords Heed Me

You Hear My Summons!

Your Old Magic,

It Is Needed

To Help

Love! /i 

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Copyright Geoffrey Lim 2006


	5. In the Future

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b Disclaimer: If I did own the Potterverse (which I don't), I would buy a chalet for my secret chocolate store and Batch Parties!!! /b 

i Dedication: To M, who I pissed off accidentally.

A/N: Okay, right now I'm a little pre-occupied with some issue with my social life and don't feel up to further adding to the plot, other than the ending I had already planned, so... sorry Ginzig1. Also, my dad's been pushing for me to actually write a non-fan fiction novel which I could publish, and once I actually thought about it, it seemed quite feasible... so I might not be coming up with anything more than one-offs for quite a while. Enjoy :)

A/N2: Oh yes, and if you hadn't noticed; there is a time lapse between this and the previous chapter, because this is an epilogue kind of thing. /i 

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Four soft pops went unheard under the cover of the howling winds. Only the soft crunch of snow on rubber announced the arrival of the four unseen wizards and witches. Wordlessly, the quad set off from the apparation point, moving against the wind as they started for a large cliff nearby. With painful slowness, they reached the shelter of the cliffside, leaning against it thankfully as they regained their breath. After a few moments of rest, they set off once more; this time hugging the cliff so that it would take the brunt of the wind for them. Moving much quicker this time, it was still quite a long time before they had neared their destination, a massive structure lying about three hundred meters from their new position. With seemingly choreographed coordination, two of the invisible teens stepped forward, raising their wands as they did so.

i /i Ginny? i Harry thought, reaching out to clasp her bare hand.

/i Yes, Harry? i she replied, reveling in the contrasting quiet of their sanctuary compared to the howling blizzard which their bodies were currently in.

/i Do you remember what to do? i he asked, turning to look her in the face.

/i I do. Let's begin, then... i Ginny answered, moving a little so that they stood toe to toe. She lifted her head, chocolate eyes boring into his emerald ones. As their thoughts fused, they carefully concentrated on setting apart themselves so that they would be able to return later. Smoothly, they both raised their unjoined hands, palms forward and fingers splayed as they had practiced many times since the fateful day when their soul bond had been completed. With practiced ease, their eyes closed, and their breathing synchronized; as they fell into the trace-like state in which they could each access their magical cores.

They sped along, side by side, two wisps of consciousness in an infinity of nothingness. Like tiny butterflies, they gracefully wound their way around the memories and dreams of the past, heading towards their center. As if upon this thought, two tiny motes of light flickered into existence just ahead of them, growing brighter and larger by the second. On they flew, faster and faster, as they watched the rippling colours dance beneath the white surface of the glowing orbs. Almost reluctantly, the two wisps flew apart, paths crossing in mid-flight as they sped towards the other's core. The size of each was incomparable, as the wisps approached; it was akin to a speck of dust approaching the earth. Nearer and nearer... the delicate swirls now vast stretches of colour across the ocean of magic beneath. Each flare expanding till they seemed like mystical rivers dancing in the darkness of space. Closer.

Closer.

Nearly...

There. Once again, Harry felt the boundless rapture as Ginny's magic ripped through his entire body. The multitude of feelings threatened to drown him as he spread his arms wide, embracing her magic; embracing her soul; embracing her... /i his Ginny i ...

In their minds, their hands clasped and they became one... /i 

" i Tenus occulto confero... /i " a muttered incantation crossed their lips as they swept their wands in symmetrical arcs, before slashing them down quickly to meet just in front of their linked hands. As their wand tips touched, silent thunder rocked the area around them; knocking the other two back against the cliff with its force. As the echoes of the thunder faded, an azure-tinted film began spreading outwards through the air from the point their wands met. As the film grew into a bubble surrounding them, the wind seemed to calm around them and the deafening noise of the blizzard died down till they were left in silence. Harry and Ginny turned to face the others. As they released their hands, they did not pull their power back within themselves; instead, they left it near the surface of their mind, to facilitate their sharing of power later.

" i C-C-Calefacto... /i " Ron whispered through chattering teeth, which soon stopped as the air in the enclosure suddenly rose to something a little more bearable. With that done, each of the quad raised their own wands, removing their disillusionment charms, now that they were hidden by the Occlusion Shield. There was a minutes or so of relative silence as everyone did not speak, busying themselves as they removed some of the more bulky clothing. That done, everyone straightened up, ready to plan their next course of action. Brushing some snow from his hair, Harry began speaking, his voice a little hoarse from the cold and the wind.

"W-Well... I think this is as close as we can get before we risk the possibility of unwittingly triggering a perimeter charm. So, I think we should do a quick survey of the compound before we make our next move... Hermione?" Harry watched as his best friend nodded, scurrying to the edge of the Shield closest to their target before removing a backpack filled with equipment, he turned back to the two Weasleys, "Well, till we know what exactly we are facing, I think we should start placing some temporary warming charms on the bare minimum of our clothing. I don't think the bulky things are going to be mobile enough for us to fight in, and we all know we're going to fight today." With their words of assent, the three of them began charming the necessary clothing. Soon, they were done, and they watched in silence as Hermione peered at the structure with a modified muggle telescope. After a few minutes of whispered charms and adjustments to the machine, Hermione stood up, brushed the ice off her knees, and turned to her waiting friends.

"It looks like something is up... Voldemort has about a score of Death Eaters around the compound, what we have already determined is probably all he has left, together with the remaining Dementors guarding the main doors. Also, he seems to have created some kind of shield around the compound, much like the Occlusion Shield we are using, except it looks like it is maintained by monoliths at five points of a star... a pentagon," a sliver of her old self seemed to shine through as Hermione huffed in disgust, rolling her eyes at their lack of knowledge, "The pentagon is a symbol of Dark Magic, you dolts... but more importantly, it is used in Dark Magic as a focus of power. It looks like he is doing something very powerfully Dark inside the building if he requires such a shield." Frowning slightly, Harry seemed to think about something before he spoke.

"I think I remember Kingsley once telling me that all other magic is suppressed if cast inside a Dark shield... if it's true, don't you think we should get those Death Eaters outside the boundaries of the shield? I don't think we can take on both a score of them and the Dementors at once..." At Hermione's nod that that was indeed correct, all four teens fell silent as they tried to think of ways to get around this problem. As usual, Ron the strategist came up with a plan first.

"Well, we can lure most of the Death Eaters out by using some kind of light spell to attract their attention, then when they arrive..." Ron paused as he worked up the nerve to say what they all knew was coming, "when they arrive... we blast up the rocks on the cliff and take them all down." The others nodded solemnly, knowing that they could not risk merely incapacitating them as this could jeopardize the whole mission should even one of them escape. They had tracked Voldemort and his Death Eaters for more than a fortnight now, after they had gotten rid of the last of the Horcruxes. All it had taken that day was for Lucius Malfoy to escape, and Voldemort had suddenly become aware that all his Horcruxes had been destroyed. From that time, he had moved extremely quickly, never staying in one spot for more than two days... until now. From what they could tell, he had established this base nearly a week ago, sending a few Death Eaters off each time to construct it while the bulk of his remaining followers fled with him. Just two days ago, he had suddenly stopped running, retreating to the seclusion and safety of the Artic circle, where they had discovered this installation. With so much on the line, and after slowly grinding his army down to shreds, the quad did not want to give him the opportunity to escape again.

"How about... we use a parabolic mirror?" confusion met Hermione's words once more; sighing, she continued, "It's a muggle invention... they taught us about it in grade school. It consists of a mirror which is bent so that all the light cast of it is focused on one point."

"How can we use something like that? Are we going to blast the shield?" Harry asked, his curiosity peaked.

"Well, I think this particular one is too powerful for that... Voldemort has invested quite a bit into erecting it. However, I feel that there is a chance we can kill two birds with one stone..." her voice trailed off as she looked imploringly at the other three. Ginny was the first to understand, and moved forward suddenly, pulling Hermione into a quick hug.

"That's brilliant, 'mione!" turning to the boys, she explained, "We combine Ron's suggestion with a parabolic mirror. We can focus our light spells on the Dementors who are guarding the door, which will definitely hurt them a lot, perhaps even kill them... remember Little Hangleton?" The Battle of Little Hangleton was a now world-renowned battle in which the Aurors had finally been given orders to work in tandem with the Order. The old Riddle house had, under Voldemort's orders no doubt, become a breeding ground for both Dementors and Lethifolds, and over a period of just a few days. the entire town surrounding it had been destroyed or evacuated. Knowing the danger this posed to the hope of anyone at all surviving the war, the Ministry had finally tasked spell-weavers to create a simple spell which could conjure an intense light, which, under the right circumstances, was even more deadly than the Patronus Charm. With the use of this charm, the combined forces of the Light had destroyed nearly all the Dementors and Lethifolds by simulcasting it from a distance.

"But we don't have even close to the number of wizards we need to take down that many Dementors..." Ron protested, "we can't possibly cast it fast enough for it to be effective..." Hermione had a rebuttal to this as well.

"That's the genius of it all! By using the parabolic mirror, we can multiply the intensity of the light by nearly threefold... Not only will we take out the Dementors, but the Death Eaters will think they are under attack by a large group and will rush out to engage us! We could lure them out and, in their confusion, spring the trap!" Hermione virtually screamed, "It. Will. Work!" Seeing how worked up she had become, Harry and Ron quickly voiced their agreement as they inconspicuously backed away.

Sniggering slightly despite the seriousness of the situation, Ginny pulled Harry aside to give Ron some time to calm his wife down. Just before they stepped out of the invisibility field provided by their earlier charm, Harry and Ginny quickly disillusioned themselves. Moving out of the protection provided by the Occlusion Shield, Ginny was very grateful that Harry had made them replace the extra layers with spells. The warming charms worked much better than the bulky layers, while allowing them to move freely as they set the boundaries where they would cast an Anti-apparation jinx. Just as they finished placing the limits on the spell, the Occlusion Shield disappeared and a two disillusioned shapes emerged from within. Seeing what they had done, Hermione spoke.

"You two just continue with the spell; Ron and I are going to start conjuring the mirror." After just a few more minutes of fine-tuning, Harry and Ginny had figured out how to cast a joint Anti-apparation jinx. As Harry's larger hand closed upon hers, Ginny felt the rush of his magic flooding throughout her body. She shivered slightly as tingles ran up her spine, and something stirred in her center. i Keep your mind on the task, girl! /i she told herself, willing her mind to forget the feel of his calloused hands against her smooth skin... and how warm he felt... and... i Stop it! /i Shaking her head, she raised her wand.

center /center 

Soon, everything was set up and the quad was hidden behind a stand of rocks near to the giant parabolic mirror which Hermione and Ron has conjured.

"Ready?" Harry asked, turning to the three people he was closest to in the world, at their nods, he said, "Right. Aim your spells and close your eyes. Light Spell on three... 1...2...3!"

" i Illustro! /i " four voices shouted, sending for blinding jets of light at the parabolic mirror. The beam of light which emerged from the mirror was astounding. As it sped towards the dome, the screams of Death Eaters could be heard above the howl of the wind as they were permanently blinded by the brilliance of the spells. With a hiss, the beam passed through the shield, flying directly into the band of Dementors by the door. Unearthly screeches pierced the air as a dozen Dementors dissipated into energy motes in an instant. The last few continued to wail in agony as their limbs were vaporized right off them, their light-shielding cloaks left in tatters. As the survivors floated blindly about, a throng of lost souls burst forth from the remains, howling with joy as they raced through the air and into the skies above. With the destruction of the Dementors complete, the blizzard suddenly stopped, allowing the sound of a score of rampaging Death Eaters to permeate the now calm air.

Taking this as their signal, the quad opened their eyes, readying their wands as the Death Eaters approached their location, pre-emptive spells flying. Harry tensed as the Death Eaters neared the Anti-apparation wards. As he raised his wand in readiness to blast the cliff face, a sudden shout of command stopped the Death Eaters in their tracks.

"Stop! It's a trap! It isn't Au-argh!" Lucius Malfoy's warning was cut off as a thick beam of yellow light hit him in the chest, coming from above Harry's shoulder. Looking around in confusion, they soon spotted the mirror and continued their run towards it, thinking that the Aurors were hiding there. As the first of the Death Eaters cleared the ward, Harry took the opportunity.

"NOW!" he shouted, raising his wand.

" i DISSOLUTIO! /i " the teens shouted. Some of the Death Eaters turned in surprise at the cry, while others did not, sending the majority of them into a pile just within the spell radius. As the purple bolts connected with the mountain rock, cries of pain were heard as the unfortunate few who attempted to apparate away found themselves splinched. There was a deafening 'crack' as an enormous chunk of the mountainside was shattered off and began its journey to the ground.

i Screams of terror were but off as, one by one, the Death Eaters were slaughtered.

A cloud of snow and rock dust rose as gravity did its job.

A chip of rock skidded to a rest as it hit Harry's foot.

The dust settled and the rocks were covered.

And there was silence.

Silence.

Why? /i 

Feeling Ginny shudder by his side, Harry raised an arm and wrapped it comfortingly around her shoulder. i It had to be done... /i He pulled her close as the quad emerged from their hiding place and began the slow walk down towards the gigantic structure. Now that the blizzard had cleared, they could finally see it clearly. Although large, the structure was by no means ornate. Its walls were primarily constructed of large blocks of coarse, low-grade granite; its entrance guarded by large, but roughly hewn wooden doors. As they neared the shield, they couldn't help but be awed by it. It was massive. Stretching nearly a full hundred meters into the air, it was nearly as tall as Hogwarts Castle itself. The air surrounding it fairly crackled with energy and bolts of power sped to and fro within it.

Stopping just before the shield, the rest looked to Hermione for direction.

"I don't think it will harm us if we enter, but remember to use only the simplest of spells because the field will drain the magic of other spells away. Well, let's do this, I guess." Taking a deep breath, the quad linked hands and stepped forward into the darkness.

i Cold. So cold and dark. Someone was screaming. Screaming his name... A flash of green light... Screams; screams of torture... Coming closer, growing louder... Louder. As the screams grew into a pulse around him, his scar flared, ripping him apart.

Harry shut his eyes and screamed.

b "Bella, do you want to serve your lord?" his voice was cold, chilling. Frost blossomed in front of him, but he barely noticed the cold.

"Yes, my lord. I will do anything..." the woman in question murmured her answer reverently as she prostrated herself before him on the icy ground. Harry smiled, wrapped his thin fingers around his wand hilt, and pulled it out. With a barely a flick of his wand, Bellatrix Lestrange was lifted up and bound to the crucifix. As he levitated the crucifix into its slot on the stone monolith, there was a crackle as it joined with the other four placed about the boundaries of the field.

"Good..." he hissed as a bolt of blackness hit her in the chest. Bellatrix Lestrange screamed. /b 

And it was over. /i 

"Harry!" the worry was clear in Ginny's voice as she pulled up and into her embrace. Relaxing in the warmth and love of her hug, Harry's mind finally processed that he was on the ground. Letting go of Ginny, he pulled himself up to see his two best friends looking worriedly at him.

"What happened?" he asked.

"We're not sure, but when you emerged, you were screaming and your face was white, then you just collapsed..." Ron mumbled, obviously relieved that Harry was okay.

"It was a vision... I was him... Voldemort... I think he was making this shield... He killed Bellatrix to make it..." Harry explained, looking around for the monoliths he knew would be there. Indeed, Harry could see three large stone structures at regular intervals along the edge of the shield. Large crucifixes were planted like staves on top of them, each holding the headless and frozen corpse of what Harry assumed were Death Eaters who had been sacrificed to power the defense. Turning back to the rest, Harry indicated that they should approach the main structure.

As they neared the building, a slight glare caught Hermione's eye. Looking up, she spotted the offending object almost immediately. A sliver of silver was inlaid about halfway up the side of the building, which bisected another curved line made of silver. As she traced the pattern in her mind, she gasped with realization. As her friends turned towards her, she quickly explained her discovery.

"They're runes! This whole building is covered in runes!" examining the structure once more, she squealed, "This is why Voldemort hasn't come out yet; this is the reason he's here in the first place! He probably doesn't even know we're here. Look, runes of protection, silence, power... oh my god..." Hermione's eyes widened as she noticed the intricate pattern which had been carved into the stone directly above the door. It was a pentagon with its inside points joined with a circle.

"What is it, Hermione?" Ginny asked, a note of nervousness in her voice.

"It's a rune of Focus..." her voice was nearly a whisper, "This whole compound was built for a Dark Ritual. This entire shield was made to focus Dark energy on a certain point within this building, and I'll bet you that's where you're going to find Tom Riddle..."

"He's making another set of Horcruxes..." as Harry said it, he suddenly knew it was true.

"That means..." Ron's eyes widened at the possibility that all their effort so far would have been for nothing.

"Yes, so we got to take him down soon. One extra minute could make the difference between whether we get him or not; and it's time to end it." a note of determination had entered Harry's voice, and everyone knew that he was right, he continued, turning to Hermione, "He'll be too powerful if he has this shield to focus power for him. I want you and Ron to stay out here and destroy each of the monoliths. Find some way to destroy the crucifixes; they are what's maintaining the field..." Harry watched as Ron and Hermione ran off to follow his instructions, before he turned to Ginny. Without a word, she took his hand and felt the familiar rush of their power fusing together. They faced the giant doors and raised their wands.

" i Dissolutio Confero! /i " they cried in unison, sending one thick beam of purple flying towards the doors. With a massive crash, the doors exploded into a million tiny fragments of wood. As the dust cleared, they stepped forward into the dark interior of the building. The entire interior of the building had been left bare, creating the impression of a large cave. In the centre, they saw him.

Harry and Ginny cautiously approached Voldemort, who had not moved in the slightest since they had arrived. As they neared him, they noticed that he was sitting in some kind of pattern, with five lit candles on the ground around him, casting eerily flickering shadows across the walls.

i Another pentagon... /i Harry thought, as they continued to advance.

i Its drawn in.. blood... /i Ginny shivered slightly as she said it, but quickly calmed down as Harry sent some reassurance through the bond.

i What are those things in front of him? /i Harry asked. Ginny squinted, and noticed that there were indeed four indistinct shapes in front of him. She gasped in shock as she realised what they were.

i They're heads! He's making Horcruxes out of the Death Eaters' heads! /i she screamed in his mind. As Harry winced, Ginny had the good grace to blush, but further play was cut off as the seriousness of the situation got back to them. As if reading her thoughts, Harry squeezed her hand reassuringly, sending love through the bond. They were now just twenty meters from the darkest wizard in the world.

i He looks like he's in a trance... /i Harry's thought was cut off as a deafening explosion shattered the calm of the building. Almost immediately, Harry and Ginny raised their wands, ready to defend themselves.

b One of the five candles went out...

A pair of red, snake-like eyes flew open...

And Tom Marvolo Riddle rejoined the world of the living... /b 

"You!" he screamed, unfolding suddenly till he was standing tall. With a quick flick of his wand, he sent a bolt of red light towards them. Remembering Hermione's words, Harry just pulled Ginny along as he dodged to one side. The red bolt hit the spot where they had been standing the moment before, sending chips of stone flying in all directions.

"YOU'VE DESTROYED EVERYTHING!" he screamed again, blasting another bolt of red which they easily dodged, "ALL MY EFFORT, IT'S GONE! All I worked for, i worthless /i ..." Hissing the last word, he flicked his wand, sending the four heads speeding towards a wall. With a sickening squelch, they splattered against the wall. Realising that could just as easily have been them; Harry quickly grabbed Ginny's hand once more.

i Stall. /i He thought, causing her to nod nearly unnoticeably.

"What's the matter, i Tom /i ? Didn't your magic trick work out?" Ginny shouted across the room in a sing-song voice. Harry just had to admire Ginny for her nerve as Voldemort visibly tensed at the use of his old name. His eyes seemed to light up with a fire as he screamed.

"DO NOT CALL ME THAT NAME! i Avada Kedavra! /i " Harry's eyes widened as the green light sped towards his beloved. With a desperate wave, he wandlessly summoned a chunk of stone debris which Voldemort's earlier spell had created. With a crunch, the Killing Curse collided with the stone, turning it into a mass of rubble which fell to the floor.

"So, you've learned something from that lover of muggles, then?" Voldemort shouted across the distance, seemingly having regained his composure. With a complicated twirl of his wand, he sent a silvery blast of light towards them, grinning evilly as he did so. Knowing that the blast was too wide to dodge, Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and felt their magic merge. Quick as thought, a golden shield sprang into existence before them.

'BOOM!' there was a mighty crash and Harry and Ginny were thrown off their feet. Lying on the ground, Harry realised his hand was still clasped in Ginny's smaller one.

i Did the shield fail? /i he sent.

i I-I-I don't think so... /i she replied, sitting up. By the time the dust had cleared, Harry and Ginny had picked themselves up and were ready for Voldemort's next spell. Harry suddenly smiled.

b The second of five candles was out...

Tom Marvolo Riddle gasped as he stood up... /b 

"Is something wrong, i Tom /i ?" Ginny taunted, "Feeling weak?" As her words hung in the air, Harry realised that what she said was true. Somehow, he was linked to the shield, i and he was getting weaker /i ...

" i Falarica! /i " he screeched, not being able to concentrate enough to do non-verbal magic. Without a thought, Harry instinctively raised his wand and conjured a reflective shield. i ...will drain the magic of other spells away... /i As the spell hit his shield, it dissipated, but Harry was still thrown back with the force of it. As he quickly leapt to his feet, Ginny frowned at him, blocking another spell with a summoned rock as she did so. He closed his hand upon hers.

i I know... I just did that reflexively, but we have to do something to speed this up... Even with the power he's losing, we're still weaker as long as we're inside this darned shield... /i Harry took Ginny's squeeze of his hand as forgiveness for nearly getting himself killed.

i Aim for the candles... /i Harry grinned evilly at Tom, who, for the first time, looked wary of him. Remembering to maintain contact with Ginny, Harry raised his wand and send a barrage of low-power Reductor curses at one of the candles. Narrowing his eyes in anger, Voldemort conjured a large shield and blocked the curses that got too close. As Harry continued to send a stream of curses at Voldemort, Ginny tried to think of a way they could work this out quickly. Just then, all three was thrown to their knees as the ground shifted violently beneath their feet.

b The third candle flickered and died... /b 

"It's going to over soon, i Tom /i ... so why don't you just give up?" Harry shouted across the room. Grunting with primal rage, Voldemort stood up, a bit of madness in his eyes.

" i Inanisss /i ..." he hissed, thrusting his wand at them. A bolt of pure blackness exploded from his wand tip, sucking in the light and warmth of the room as it swept, nearly gracefully, towards Harry and Ginny. Their eyes widened in terror, watching helplessly as the Void spell raced towards them... It was nearly over... Ginny grasped Harry's hand tightly in hers, and opened up her mind to him.

i I love you. /i she whispered, sinking into his mind.

i I love you, too. /i he replied, losing himself in the feel of Ginny...

i Rapture... so close... He could see the water of their stream rushing past them as they spiraled into each other, losing their sense of self, opening themselves... becoming one...

/i b IT IS DONE. YOU ARE ONE. /b i the voice tore through the haze of joy, echoing around in their mind. With that, they were thrown back into their bodies, with their minds still linked. /i 

With sudden clarity of mind, both Harry and Ginny raised their hands, fingers curled forward as they felt the power of their joining coursing through their veins. Gold sparks of the Old Magic raced along their skin, collecting at their fingertips. Unnoticed, there was a sudden boom as the last of the crucifix-powered monoliths crumbled in upon itself, not being strong enough to withstand the magnitude of power being built up within it.

b The fourth flame flickered and fell. /b 

With unearthly roars, Harry and Ginny spread their fingers, throwing the Golden web into the air before them. With a hiss, the Void spell dissipated, causing Voldemort to cry out with despair. As the bonded pair advanced towards him, Tom Riddle cowered in fear, throwing spell after useless spell at them. He could feel the power literally flowing out of his bones as the Dark shield he had invested most of his remaining power in crumbled before his eyes. In a last desperate bid for freedom, Tom Riddle began to spin around, attempting to apparate.

" b Not so fast, Tom. /b " Harry's voice seemed to come from a distance as he made a sweeping gesture, throwing the once-omnipotent Dark Lord to his knees, " b Do you remember how it felt to have a soul? /b " At those words, Tom Riddle's gaze was inexplicably drawn to Harry's eyes. i This is the end... /i 

Voldemort screamed.

i The golden light of their bonded souls raced through the abyss of Tom Marvolo Riddle's mind, searing his very core...

Ripping through the spells. Through the potions. Through his lifetime of work... he would never be immortal...

The light rushes on, unheeding of the death and destruction this mind has undergone... caused...

There is almost nothing left... but the scraps of his soul are enough to invoke... a conscience...

They can sense the guilt; they urge it on, watch as his lasts moments are consumed...

With the weight of a thousand deaths on his shoulders... and the fire melts the ice...

Around his heart... which screams... as it is consumed by the majesty...

And his soul... cowers... broken... In the darkest corner...

Where he has hidden it... forever... no more...

Such is the power of an untouched soul...

...Searing as their bonded souls...

Race through the abyss...

Of Tom Riddle's...

Soul... /i 

And he stopped. As the life fled from his limbs, a resounding boom sounded across the area, and the Golden light left Harry and Ginny's eyes. But they were still joined.

b And the last candle died. /b 

Turning, Harry watched as, in the doorway of the building, Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and disapparated. There was another 'crack' as the unstable Magical Energy in the area dissipated itself. It was over. Taking Ginny's hand in his own, he smiled, leaned down, and kissed her soft lips.

And they were gone.

center /center 

"It's a girl," the Mediwitch told the beaming couple as she passed the tiny bundle to them.

"We know," they replied together, placing the fiery-haired, emerald-eyed Diana Potter next to her newly born Pixie.

As the Mediwitch left the room, she smiled to herself as she watched the young father wrap his arms around his wife. i Young love... /i 

The door shut with a click.

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i A/N: Sigh... as usual, overshot by around 2000 words due to my long-windedness. So ends What's In a Robe, my second series-fic. I'm sorry about the not-up-to-standard writing just before they take Tom down, but I was a bit distracted then... may go and fix it up some day. Anyway, many thanks to all of you who have read this story. Hehe... and I couldn't resist adding in the bit about the Dementor's cloaks and the souls xD Thanks for reading, now review :) /i 

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Copyright Geoffrey Lim 2006


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